The first part of our exclusive interview with Peter Haring can be read HERE

From his home in Austria, Peter Haring kept a keen eye on events in the Scottish Premiership this past weekend as one of his former Heart of Midlothian managers went into a match from which he may not emerge with secure employment. And so it proved that an old mentor of the midfielder did receive his jotters for a tough start to the new campaign.

Following his side's 2-0 loss at Easter Road, Craig Levein was relieved of his duties as St Johnstone manager, abruptly ending his stay at McDiarmid Park after less than a year in charge.

As surprising as the news was, given that St Johnstone are only five games into the season and aren't even in the bottom two, there wasn't exactly an outpouring of sympathy. Levein is very much a polarising figure in Scottish football, even at Tynecastle Park where he's largely regarded as something for a club legend for his work as player, manager (the first time) and director of football (before his second stint as boss).

There's certainly one recognisable Scottish football voice, and former Hearts midfielder, who gives off the impression that he'd rather crawl through broken glass than shake Levein's hand. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and while Levein has his detractors, the man he signed from SV Ried in the summer of 2018 certainly isn't one of them.

"You know what, for me at that moment he was a perfect manager," Haring told Hearts Standard in an exclusive interview. "He just gave me so much freedom and so much confidence at that time that I really felt I could do anything today.

"As a manager, in general, he was really good at dealing with the players. Some might say different, but for me at that time with the way he treated me and the way he respected the other players, I thought he was really good."

Levein uncovered a gem when he brought Haring to Edinburgh six years ago, even if he didn't envision the player flourishing in the manner which he did. Haring was supposed to play on the right of a back three, utilising his passing range and ability to step out with the football, along with the central defensive qualities he'd honed at each of his previous two clubs. Instead, a dire performance away to Raith Rovers in the League Cup group stages moved Levein into shifting Haring into midfield. From that point forward, that was his position, and ultimately he would play an influential role in Hearts getting to three cup finals and competing in Europe on two occasions.

Injuries, though, did limit the number of appearances Haring was able to make, which was 126 in total – just over 20 a campaign on average. The first, a pelvic problem, plagued him during the latter half of his debut season. Following a start in the 2-1 Scottish Cup final defeat to Celtic, Haring then vanished from the first team for 16 months as he underwent a long rehabilitation process.

Levein has spoken before about the responsibility he carries for one of his players being out for so long, fearing that his decision to start Haring, who went off with the game still in the balance at 1-1, meant he remained on the sidelines for longer.

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So does Haring agree with that assessment?

"No, but I've heard that as well. I think that sums him up as a person," said Haring. "He might reflect on that and think, 'I've done something wrong here'. But actually, if it wasn't for him, I would have played the week before.

"We played Celtic away at Parkhead and I went to see him because I knew I was going to have a chance to play in the cup final. I spoke to him and said, 'Listen, I want to prepare as best as I can, and I want to play against Celtic the week before the cup final'. He actually told me that he's not going to do that because, first of all, he doesn't want to give anything away and also he doesn't want to risk me.

"So if it wasn't for him I probably would have played the week before and possibly would have been sore after that game, meaning I didn't end up playing in the cup final, no one knows. Due to the nature of the injury, it was just a matter of time. So it wouldn't have changed anything."

By the time Haring returned to the field, Levein had not only gone, he'd also missed the entire tenure of another manager in the form of Daniel Stendel; Levein's replacement who lasted just a few months in the job before Hearts were prematurely relegated when Covid-19 shut down the 2019/20 season. While he may not have played under Stendel, he did do some work for the German.

Peter Haring on the Hearts bench when Daniel Stendel was boss.Peter Haring on the Hearts bench when Daniel Stendel was boss. (Image: SNS Group)

"I sat on the bench next to him in a couple of games. That was strange," Haring said with a smile.

"On his first day we had a team meeting and he came in by himself without any assistants. After the meeting, I spoke to him and said, like, 'Listen, I'm not available for team selection at the moment, I'm injured, but if I can help then just let me know'. At the start, it was like, 'Nah, nah, I'm fine'. Then the next day he met me and he was like, 'Do you think you can sit on the bench at the weekend?' I was like, 'what?'

"Because of the language issues, if anything had to happen quickly he wanted someone who could translate a little bit for him. I had to sign something for the SFA to sit on the bench next him. I think it lasted until his assistant came in after three or four games.

"I'll leave 'assistant manager' out of my CV because I think we lost every one."

Though Haring wouldn't speak as glowingly of the next incumbent, Robbie Neilson, as much as he did Levein or Naismith, he did reveal the two had a "good and honest" relationship with "no issues", even if the player did admit that it was sometimes a bit more difficult to cement his place in the starting XI.

He would go on to play in two finals under Neilson: the loss on penalties to Celtic in 2020, which Haring said was the toughest of the three Hampden heartbreaks, and the 2-0 extra-time defeat to Rangers in 2022, Haring rubbished the notion that Hearts had a distinct advantage going into that match due to Rangers losing the Europa League final three days prior, believing it to be something which is perpetuated in the media but doesn't bear out on the pitch.

After a head knock sustained at Aberdeen in October 2022 led to persistent concussion symptoms which saw him out of action for another six months, he returned just in time for Neilson to be sacked following a 2-0 home defeat to St Mirren the following spring.

Naismith, a man whom Haring had enjoyed a close relationship with, was then promoted to head coach.

Haring had a good relationship with Naismith. (Image: Paul Devlin - SNS Group)

"Yeah! Obviously!" he said with a laugh when asked if he always knew his former team-mate would be a coach one day. "He always said that was his ambition. He had a really clear idea about how he saw football. I always knew he was going to be a manager at Hearts, but I think it happened much earlier than we all would have thought.

"We talked about Craig Levein before, how important he was for me when I signed, but it was the same with Naisy. Naisy was amazing.

"I was wondering how he was going to be as a person, sometimes bigger players can be a bit like, 'Don't you say anything to me,' but he was amazing with me. He always respected me, he always treated me so well. The way he spoke to me during the game or before games I just felt like there's so much respect and he gives me so much confidence. We always had a really good connection and relationship."

Now his old friend is battling against the tide of public opinion with many Hearts fans calling for his exit. But Haring believes the club need to be patient and stick by their man, reckoning the influx of new players has upset the balance somewhat but that things will soon settle down and the team will start winning consistently again.

"You just have to look at the last season," he said. "We didn't really start well. He was able to change things about how we play, how we wanted to beat teams, and we turned things around.

"I was a little bit surprised by how many new boys they signed because I thought the team was settled. That's something you can't underestimate – how difficult it is when you make a lot of new signings, for every one of the new boys to really be at their best right away. It just takes time. And from what I've seen so far, I think they've recruited really well.

"Watching the games, I think that Hearts at the moment haven't 100 per cent found their rhythm yet. I'm very confident that the Hearts team this year is at least as good as we were last year."